Rolando Villazón

VILLAZÓN Cielo e mar 4777224

Villazón has the broad legato and long breath the meatier bel canto repertoire really needs, and he sounds great . . . In addition, he is especially attuned to musical details, where he brings variety of shading and articulation to these more structured forms . . . This may be his ideal future repertory.

. . . the opera arias on the disc -- a bel canto to verismo selection that wanders worthily off-repertory into Ponchielli, Mercadante, Gomes and some unknown Donizetti -- builds into a handsome portrait of an artist who delivers all-round . . . the exacting combination of control, focus, security and heart-stopping dramatic ardour it delivers . . . is impressive . . . you miss nothing. Nor will you want to.

Record Review /
Michael White,
Opera Now (London) / 01. May 2008

Hot on the heels of a very good recording of La bohčme, in which his Rodolfo is unquestionably the finest element, has come this excellent new album of lesser known Italian arias. And what an album it is . . . the great thing is that, as Villazón explains in an entertaining interview in the liner booklet, the tenor has chosen arias that speak to him emotionally, rather than selecting them for their academic value, and he sings them like he means every word . . . Villazón uses the words as his guide, rather than resorting to easy histrionics or merely bathing in the beauty of his voice, and the result is a finely shaded rendition. I also admire the way he negotiates the stepwise chromatic melodic lines of 'La dolcissima effigie sorridente' from Cilea's "Adriana Lecouvreur", and the dreaminess of approach to Faust's first-act romanza from Mefistofele . . . I was delighted by the inclusion of 'La dea di tutti i cor!' from Mercadante's fascinating Il giuramento, again performed with a generosity of tone, and Villazón's handling of the flexibility of line in the exquisitely-orchestrated 'Io conosco un giardino' from Pietri's "Maristella" shows his understanding of style and colour . . . the tracks are all of a very high standard . . . the depth of feeling Villazón brings to 'Quando le sere al placido' is reminiscent of that of his mentor, Plácido Domingo. The rousing finale to Act II from Luisa Miller is a great bonus feature and Villazón sings it with abandon, accompanied by the Coro Sinfonico di Milano Giuseppe Verdi . . . the conducting of Daniele Callegari and the playing of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi are exemplary, and this is an imaginatively conceived and very worthwhile disc.

Record Review /
Dominic McHugh,
MusicalCriticism.com / 26. May 2008

. . . we still have that ardent expression . . . Villazón is all about: vivid drama, beautifully controlled dynamics, totally spontaneous music-making. The title track is another tenor warhorse that Villazón makes fresh and vibrant. And while I canżt imagine many tenors making much of Pietriżs obscure Maristella, Villazón turns . . . "Io conosco un giardino" into a truly irresistible love song. Throughout, thereżs stirring and imaginative accompanying from the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano under Daniele Callegari . . .

Record Review /
Neil Fisher,
The Times (London) / 30. May 2008

In glorious voice, Villazón identifies ardently with each of these dreamy or distraught Romantic heroes . . . he compels with his thrilling, darkly burnished tone, generous phrasing and care for legato and shading. Villazón finds the ideal elegance and contained fervour for two lyrical Mercadante arias, while his subtle, passionately involved account of Gabriele's scena from Simon Boccanegra makes one eager to see him in the role on stage. Callegari and his Milan orchestra accompany efficiently enough.

It finds the Mexican tenor on fine form. The voice has a lustre increasingly reminiscent of Domingo, with the same thrilling ardour at the climaxes . . . the recital showcases overlooked treasure from the Italian repertoire . . . Villazón caresses each like a Latin troubador, turning them all into top-drawer music. You won't be able to stop listening.

Record Review /
Andrew Clark,
Financial Times (London) / 31. May 2008

. . . the poetic quality and emotional immediacy of his singing in arias from Mercadante's "Il Giuramento" and Verdi's "Luisa Miller" are disquieting in the extreme.

Record Review /
Tim Ashley,
The Guardian (London) / 13. June 2008

. . . this latterday Caruso is back with a vengeance.

Record Review /
Anthony Holden,
Observer (London) / 22. June 2008

This is a well chosen selection of tenor arias with a few comparative rarities to offset the more obvious favourites . . . Villazón sings them all with admirable intensity, his diction is excellent, and he can float a pianissimo when necessary, as in the opening "Cielo e mar" from "La Gioconda" that gives the disc its title. Recording quality is first-rate, and the accompaniment provided by the Giuseppe Verdi orchestra under Daniele Callegari is always sympathetic. The aria from "Boccanegra" is one of the best things Villazón has done so far on disc. Let's hope he gets to sing the whole part soon.

Mr. Villazón's singing has ardor and intensity. He is able to toss off high Cs, but his voice also has richness and warmth. Over the past five years, Mr. Villazón has become one of opera's rising stars, not only for the beauty of his vocals, but also for his stage presence.